After the 1989 FBI raid halted plutonium production, Rocky Flats underwent an accelerated cleanup that reached physical completion in 2005. More than 800 structures were removed, but the cleanup did not eliminate all contamination. What remained, how were the decisions made, and why does Rocky Flats still require long-term environmental stewardship?

CDPHE's Rocky Flats Historical Public Exposures Studies reconstructed radioactive and chemical releases, modeled potential exposures, and estimated cancer risks. But the research was federally funded, relied on incomplete historical records and hypothetical exposure scenarios, and did not follow the actual long-term health outcomes of Downwinders. We examine its findings, limitations, funding, and influential recommendation against further epidemiological studies.